Transcription
If you have a thyroid disorder, you might be wondering what are the best foods that you can eat to help support your thyroid. And this is what we're going to talk about today.
Hi, I am Dr. Anshul Gupta. I am a functional medicine and thyroid expert. I help people reverse their thyroid disease by making personalized functional medicine plans.
So, thyroid disorders are very common. And most people that come to see me have this question: What should I eat? What are the best foods that I can actually eat that will support my thyroid?
So, thyroid is an endocrine gland. And it requires several vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to support the functioning of the thyroid gland. And we get all of these things by food. So, food definitely is a good therapeutic medicine if you have a thyroid disorder. But it's very important to eat the right foods. And that's what we're going to talk about today.
So, I'm going to talk about seven foods that you can eat that will help to support your thyroid gland. So, let's talk about them.
So, the first food which is very beneficial for your thyroid gland is Brazil nuts. Yes, Brazil nuts are a very good source of selenium in your body. Now, selenium is an important mineral which is needed by a thyroid gland for two things. For making thyroid hormone, because selenium is a part of enzymes called deiodinases. And the second reason selenium is important, it protects your thyroid gland from damages from free radicals. Free radicals are formed in your thyroid gland as a waste product when it is producing thyroid hormone. So, selenium being part of these protective enzymes protect your thyroid. So, that's the reason selenium is very important. And unfortunately, they are not many foods which have a good amount of selenium. And Brazil nuts is a good food which has a lot of selenium. In fact, if you eat one or two Brazil nuts a day, you can get enough selenium to support your thyroid gland. So, that's the reason Brazil nuts are definitely one of the top foods that supports your thyroid gland.
The second food that supports your thyroid gland is seaweeds. Now, your thyroid gland needs iodine to produce thyroid hormone. And seaweed are a very rich source of iodine. Okay? Most people are afraid that they are not getting enough iodine. That's the reason they start taking iodine supplement. But the new research suggests that if you are too low on iodine, that is bad for your thyroid. If you are too high on iodine, that is also bad for your thyroid. So, that's the reason I encourage all of my patients to get their iodine from food instead of relying on the supplements. And seaweed is one of those foods which is very high in iodine and that you can eat on a regular basis. Now, seaweed has also other benefits. It is high in fiber content. It has other antioxidants in it. And it is a low-carb food. So, along with having iodine, it has all the other benefits that will help your thyroid.
The third food that you should eat on a regular basis is fish. Yes, fish is very important to include in your diet because fish is a high source of omega-3 fatty acids. Along with that, fish is a good source of good, clean protein. And also, fish is a low-carb food. So, there are so many different qualities that fish has that can help your thyroid gland to function good. Now, why do you need omega-3 fatty acids? So, omega-3 fatty acids are wonderful ways of reducing inflammation in your body, especially your thyroid gland. And we know that inflammation is a root cause of your thyroid problems. So, by reducing inflammation, we support your thyroid gland. So, it is very important to include fish regularly in your diet. Now, not all the fish are the same. So, there are some particular fish which are much more higher in omega-3 fatty acids as compared to the others. So, the main fish that includes will be your salmons, your sardines, your herrings, your mackerel. So, these are the fishes which are high in omega-3s that will also help to protect your thyroid gland.
The fourth food that you need to include is chia and flax seeds. So, chia and flax seeds are also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, especially if you are vegetarian or vegan. So, chia and flax seeds also have other benefits. They are high in fiber. They are also a good source of plant-based protein. So, as you see, you know, like chia seeds and flax seeds kind of do the same thing that fish does for people who are eating meats. While chia and flax seeds are a good source of vegan source of omega-3s as well as your fiber and proteins.
The fifth food that you should include is green leafy vegetables. Yes, green vegetables are wonderful. They have so many health benefits. All the green leafy vegetables, whether it is spinach, whether it is your kale, whether it's mustard, whether it's dandelion, whether it is chard. All of these green vegetables are packed with so many vitamins, minerals, nutrients that they support your thyroid gland. Like, for example, spinach is very high in iron content. Now, iron is needed to help produce thyroid hormone. Now, let's say, let's take an example of kale. Now, kale is not only high in iron, but also it is high in something called an antioxidant called quercetin. Now, quercetin is an anti-inflammatory compound which again helps to protect your thyroid gland and reduces inflammation in your body. So, as you see, these greens have so many good benefits that you should definitely include them into the regular diet that you consume.
The sixth food that you need to consume on a regular basis is spices. Yes, spices are not only good to give flavor to your food, but spices are also good because they help protect your thyroid gland. The first spice is curcumin or turmeric. So, turmeric is an Indian spice which has been used for ages and ages and gives that yellow color to those Indian curries. But it is packed with so many benefits. So, turmeric has a compound called curcumin which helps with detoxification, which helps with reducing inflammation. It also helps to support your gut health. Okay? So, by all of these things, it is supporting your thyroid gland and also good for your health. The second spice which is very good for your thyroid gland is ginger. Ginger again has compounds which are high in anti-inflammatory properties. Ginger is very good for your gut microbiome and also for your gut health. So, again, it is very important to include ginger also on a regular diet. So, similarly, there are all the other spices which are good that you can include on a regular basis. Whether it's rosemary, whether it is oregano. All of those things, spices that you can include will help you support your thyroid gland.
The last food which is also good for your thyroid gland is oysters and some kind of seafoods like lobsters and king crab. So, why is that so? So, oysters are very high in something called zinc. Now, zinc is an important mineral again, you know, in the thyroid gland because what does zinc do? Zinc is helpful in the production of your thyroid gland, as well as zinc is actually helpful for activating your thyroid hormone. Now, your thyroid gland produces a thyroid hormone which is called T4. It needs to be converted into an active version of thyroid hormone called T3. And zinc is an important compound or a mineral which can help to do that. And a lot of times, deficiency of zinc is the reason that people, even after taking medications, do not feel good. So, oysters being a high source of zinc can help, you know, like improve the conversion of your thyroid hormone and also reduces inflammation. So, same thing is with king crab, as well as with lobsters. They are also a good source of zinc and can help support your thyroid gland. But again, what I don't recommend is that having too much oysters or too much seafood on a regular basis. But these are the things that you should have maybe a couple of times a month or so that will help to support your thyroid gland.
So, you see, these are the seven foods that if you include regularly in your diet, they are going to help support your thyroid gland and will help support reducing your symptoms. I do offer online virtual functional medicine consultations for people all around the world. So, if you have a thyroid disorder and you want to reverse it, then you would then you need to work with me. The description is in the link.